Public Perception and Awareness Regarding Calorie Information in Restaurant in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

ObjectivesThe provision of calorie information on restaurant menus has been identified as a cost-effective strategy for preventing obesity and related chronic disease and recently the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) imposed calories labeling to become a requirement for all restaurants. This study was designed to assess the association between knowledge, attitude and practices on food label use and to determine the factors that influence the use of food labels during making food purchasing decision in Saudi Arabia.MethodsA cross-sectional study, using data collected via an online self-reported questionnaire, from participants living in RIYADH (n = 339 ≥ 18 years) during Fall 2020. Participants were recruited through social media and volunteered to complete a Food Label Use Questionnaire (FLUQ) which included demographic data, level of knowledge about food and nutrition, attitude and practices related to using food labels and factors affecting the use of food labelling. The questionnaire was translated from English into Arabic following guidelines for translating a questionnaire. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, spearman correlation was used to test for basic association between variables and using food label and independent samples t-test to examine gender differences.ResultsThe results show that 85% of the respondents think that food labeling is useful however, only 43% of the participants stated that they always or usually use the food label during food purchasing decision. About 25% of the participants indicated that time constraint was the main barrier for not using food labels, followed by difficult to use (24%). Taste was rated as being the most important factor for food choice by 33% of participants followed by nutrition value 27% and expiry date (17%). Preliminary data suggest that nutrition knowledge, age and education level are positively and significantly associated with using food label P < 0.05 and females exhibited greater knowledge and more frequent label use than male.ConclusionsThe use of nutrition labelling differ by population subgroups. The results of the present study highlight the need for nutrition awareness campaigns and education programs targeted towards promoting the use of nutrition label among male and younger adults.Funding SourcesKing Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC).